


Don't leave me

by Anonymous



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-11 11:03:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,196
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20545091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: "Callum! Don't you dare" Ben growls heart in his throat as Callum closes his eyes, "keep them open and stay awake, ok? Talk to me, come on, Callum" Ben says desperately, his mind briefly goes to everything that happened with Paul and he feels a new bout of desperation because God, no, not again.Ben cradles a bleeding Callum and vows that he will never loose another one he loves to the hands of evil.Or,A what if Callum was shot not Ben.





	Don't leave me

It happens in a flash.

One moment he's standing, watching as Hunter towers over with a gun in hand next he joins Kush, Keegan and Mick in a frenzied jump for the gun, they tackle him to the ground, it's a struggle, a mere few seconds before he sees a hand wrestle free, a flash of black before a bang.

Then nothing.

~*~

Voices.

That's what pulls him from the darkness, hysterical screaming and crying and mumbled voices surround him.

He feels as someone grabs his shoulders pulling him back, he feels a warm hand press to his neck, he almost surrenders to the darkness again, he's so cold and the warmth from the touch lulls him, calling him -

A harsh slap, the sting burns and he opens his eyes with a start and suddenly everything around him seems to move in an unbearably fast speed he feels like he's spinning, like everything before was just in slow motion.

"_Callum?!_, _Callum_, come on now, that's it, open your eyes".

Looking up he sees Ben who's about three shades paler than usual with a look of something Callum hasn't seen before in his eyes, a gentle hand resting on the burn of his cheek, thumb rubbing back and forth gently over his jaw, his other hand is pressing down, down on something Callum can't make out right now but he can feel pressure and since when does Ben do gentle and why can't he feel anything.

" ...What's - I-I _cant_" he manages with a shuddering breath, before he looks to the side and sees Hunter, still pointing a gun, now back on his feet with everyone now on the ground and a pile of phones on the table, suddenly everything comes back to him and he looks down to where Ben is pressing and sees red, red blood seeping through the hands that Ben has pressing down on his chest and he realizes he's been shot, the numbness fades and he tries to move, because it's hurting and although rationally he knows he shouldn't, he tries because Ben's hurting him and why is Ben hurting him?

"Callum, stay still, alright? don't move, you 'ear me" Ben's talking to him again, and he watches as Mick takes over and presses down and the pain comes back full force.

"I said nobody move!" Hunter yells motioning his gun as Ben hurriedly shrugs off his jacket, "I said to get away from him!" He says angrily.

"He's bleeding out, I am _not_ leaving him!" Ben growls at the same time Mick yells, "he needs an ambulance!" .

Hunter glanced between the two, "No one's calling any ambulance" he snaps, "you" Hunter says gesturing to Ben, "stay with him but if you move or try anything he _dies_".

"Stay with us kid" Mick says, eye brows furrowed , "You have to stay with us, alright?" He says as squeezes Callum's shoulder before moving to comfort a crying Linda.

Ben appears at his side again, jacket now wrapped down on to the wound, as he snakes his hand under Callum's neck pulling him gently closer till he's leaning on Ben, head in his lap.

"Bit different from last time, eh?" Ben mumbles, his usual sarcastic tone faded and Callum catches the way Ben's hands shake as he runs them through Callum's hair.

Callum goes to respond, roll his eyes or something but he can't do much other than a groan as his breath stutters out of him in desperate pants.

"Talk to me, callum, come on, talk to me, alright? you can do better than that" Ben says gently, cupping the back of his head, "Don't make me look stupid, talking all by myself" he says trying for a joke, but Callum catches the desperate edge to his voice.

" I- It hurts" is all that comes out and he feels Ben push down harder in response to his words.

"I know but it's gonna be alright, you're gonna be fine" Ben says gruffly, it's hard to know who he is trying to reassure, "I promise ya, alright?"

Callum swallows audibly,mouth drying, "I know... enough a-about this stuff...t-to know I'm g-gonna bleed out-" he murmurs through gasps, because it's true and he needs to say it, needs Ben to know because he can feel himself slipping.

~*~

Ben swallows the bile rising in his throat, as he looks around, how can everything change so drastically in a number of seconds, one minute he's trying to placate Whitney in to not outing Callum in front of the whole square -he may have threatened to but he would _never._

Next Hunter has a gun and between the mad rush he sees Callum join the wrestle for the weapon.

He's barely registered anything since a gun sounded and a lifeless Callum hit the ground.

Ben re adjusts the jacket with more pressure, he doesn't dare look, the warmth seeping from underneath is enough to make him feel physically sick.

Instead he watches Callum, eyes never leaving, his skin is almost completely white and there's a sheen of sweat, his eyes don't hold their usual glint and his usual smirk is pulled in to a grimace.

But it's still _Callum_.

"Callum! Don't you dare" Ben growls heart in his throat as Callum closes his eyes, "keep them open and stay awake, ok? Talk to me, come on, Callum" Ben says desperately, his mind briefly goes to everything that happened with Paul and he feels a new bout of desperation because _God_, _no_, not again.

"_Callum_!"

Ben pulls his upper body closer, watching Callum's head loll to the side against his chest, he pulls him tighter almost cradling not caring about those around him, his hand shakes as he cards throughout his hair gently cupping his cheek, "Stay with me, Callum".

Ben looks around him frantically, "We need an ambulance! He's gonna die, if we don't get a damn ambulance!" He shouts.

Hunter just stares before he shakes his head, gun still clutched in his grip, "Nobody can get in here! I'm not going back!".

"If he dies that's murder, you'll definitely be back inside!" Mick yells, at the same time Linda calls out to ask if Sonia can help, "We won't try anything!" She says, trembling as the gun is pointed in her direction.

Ben doesn't loosen his hold on Callum as Sonia kneels down, gently looking under the jacket and at the wound, he hears her say something about internal bleeding and his lungs and he takes a shaky breath, heart having not stopped thundering in his chest since he first knelt down desperately by an unconscious Callum.

When he feels a limp grip on his hand,looking down he sees Callum, his eyes struggling, barley open, gently squeezing his hand.

Ben laughs slightly the relief rushing out of him, "Don't do that again" he breathes, squeezing back, "Don't leave me, alright?" He says not caring who sees as he brings the hand to his mouth, kissing the soft skin.

At some point he catches Whitney staring from across the room, tears evident, a certain look in her eyes, almost as though she trusts Ben, trusts him with Callum.

**Author's Note:**

> Thought it might be interesting to see what it would be like having it as Callum who was shot not Ben. Hope it was enjoyable.
> 
> Comment / kudos and what not :)


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